The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1887-09-14
SOUTHERN AGRICULTURAL.
Some Vegetable Experience.

Some Vegetable Experience.
There has been little of novelty in
the way of garden vegetables this sea-
| son. Among those which we tried for
| the first time, the dwarf Flageolet bean
is worth mentioning. 1t is awax bean
of unusual length of pod. The plants
are vigorous and productive, and alto
gether we consider it the best wax bean
we have tried.
The Italian onions are not new, but
few in the South are aware how easy
it is to get a good supply of onions
from seed the first season by using
these Italian sorts. By the time our
onions, which were grown from sets.
had all been used, the Queen onions
were large enough for tho table, and
have been in use since the last week in
June.
The new Eclipse beet we do not like
as well for an early sort as the
Egyptian. 1t does not, however, get so
poor in quality as the season advances.
This variety was put upon the market
too soon. 1t lacks tixity of type. At
least those which we have ssown do,
for we find beets Of all shapes and
colors mixed with those of the shape
claimed for this sort. These odd
shaped ones evidently are not mix
lures but variations, and some time
and patience are needed to get the
Eclipse into the uniform habits as the
Egyptian shows.
1t is a great pity we can not get an
early variety of sugar corn that will
succeed south of Mason and Dixon S
line. For many years l tried every
new sort offered, but with uniform
failure The only exception was a
moderate success one season with the
Black Mexican, which, by the bye, is as
good corn rs was ever eaten. We
have settled down to the conclusion
that VIC can not have early sweet corn
in this latitude, and 80 we have to
make ourselves content with the little
Adams Early, the "Neck corn of the
Baltimore market growers. This is a
dwarf-growing early dent and makes
poor roasting ears" in comparison
with sweet corn. But to those who
can wait in patience we can offer the
best of all corn-the Stowell's Ever
green followed by the still later but
unsurpassed Hyde's Egyptian. Ii we
could only find an early variety Of
! sweet corn which would succeed in
this climate our happiness in this re-
spect would be complete. But then
there are so many things we can grow
better here than our Northern friends,
I suppose we shall have to be content
to leave them in the enjoyment Of the
early sweet corn, while we enjoy our
temotoes, egg plants and sweet pota-
| toes weeks ahead of them.
Speaking of sweet potatoes, we have
no doubt they can be grown in many
localities North. but those who know
only the Northern-grown article have
but faint idea of what a sweet pota.
to is when matured in the warm eli
mate. Even thus far south there is q
great difference in the tubers pro.
duced in different localities. Here in
the foothills of the Blue Ridge we grow
good crops in sandy places on our
bottom lands. but our mountain-grown
potatoes bear no comparison in quail.
ty to those raised in the sandy, piney'
woods country bordering on the tide.
water rivers and bay. Jerseymen
think they grow sweet potatoes on
their sandy soils. and so they do so
far as quantity and appearance go,
but natives of the Eastern shore would
throw aside Jersey potato as moi
worth eating. The Jerseyman ma
nures his sweet potatoes with ami
manure. The Eastern shore man
knows that nothing so surely destroys
their quality. All he wants for the
production of large and lus'
cious crops is to have the run Of
a piece of pine forest. A
heavy coat of the half-decayed pine
skaters or "tags" on a piece O.
mellow upland gives him better
product that can be had from city
manure. The vines will not so rank ly
cover the ground. but the tubers will
be then of unsurpassed quality. o
varieties the one known here rs Rec
Nose, from the reddish-brown freckle
Oh the top end of the tuber, is the bes
of the yellow sorts, but it requires I
longer season than the Nausemond tina
the Jersey growers use. For Northern
localities I am of the opinion that TIN
yam known as Southern Queen, o.
among the Norfolk truckers as Hay
man, is the best. It is early and pro
ductive and is the best keeper of al
sweet potatoes. Ihave kept them in 81
ordinary fros-proof cellar along will
Irish potatoes. where the yellow sweets
will not keep at all. l feel sure tina
Northern growers would get satisfac
ton out of this vsriety.-M. f. W (Nr
| giaia), IN american Garden.